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thread of black composers and some of their works for violin
joseph bologne, chevalier de saint-georges — classical composer and violinist. fun fact: saint-georges was actually a champion fencer (see the sword in his photo) and was said to have been, by 17, 'already beating the best swordsmen' and having the 'greatest speed imaginable.'
solo violin works of saint-georges i recommend — 1) violin concerto in c major, op. 5 no. 1 (1775). this is one of 14 of his violin concertos! while you should def listen to the whole thing, the third movement is my favorite: https://open.spotify.com/track/6H6jRBC2LnZexBXSqyH595?si=oNSaKdKnTGegEB4wwVVoJA
2) sonata for 2 violins no 3 in a major (c. 1770). this is such a pretty piece!! unfortunately, no recordings of this work exist, but augustin hadelich recently uploaded a performance of him playing both parts during covid lockdown:
3) violin concerto no.2, op. 11 in g major (1777) i really like this piece (i'm sorry idk how to talk abt music intellectually)!! i recommend all mvts, but here's the 2nd one: (also btw, the cataloging on this recording is outdated) https://open.spotify.com/track/6VBxc9qispWFuC1Fh1H8ky
read more about him: https://colourofmusic.org/about-le-chevalier-de-saint-georges/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/arts/music/black-mozart-joseph-boulogne.html
josé silvestre white lafitte (more commonly known as joseph white) — romantic composer and violinist. fun fact: he was the first black soloist (of any instrument) to perform with the new york philharmonic, done so during his 1875-76 tour of the americas.
violin works of white i recommend — 1) violin concerto in f sharp minor. this one is very virtuosic, yet still really enjoyable to listen to! my favorite is the 3rd movement: https://open.spotify.com/track/5geV4vO2GZ6AE8XPImYAHZ
also, if you're interested in learning more about this piece, joyce kwak talks about it and shares her process for learning this concerto:
2) etude no. 6 for solo violin, op. 13. this is one of his 6 etudes for solo violin! rachel barton pine described it as a 'danzón with a pyrotechnic central section much in the virtuoso parisian style of the time.' see her recording of it: https://open.spotify.com/track/3yQmjLCqol4OSb3JgKKsrN
3) la bella cubana. this is white's most famous work, and is a habanera for 2 violins and orchestra. also, it's not something i'd usually listen to, but regardless i still really like it!! here's a recording of it for 2 violins and piano:
read more about him: https://thestrad.com/artists/an-introduction-to-joseph-white-and-his-six-etudes/7922.article https://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/White.html
samuel coleridge-taylor — romantic violinist and comopser. fun fact: coleridge-taylor came to the attention of elgar in 1898, and allowed for his ballade in a minor for orchestra to be premiered at the three choirs festival, coleridge-taylor conducting.
solo violin works of coleridge-taylor i recommend — 1) romance in g major for violin and orchestra, op. 39. this is just so pretty!! it's probably my favorite piece out of all of the ones in this thread. https://open.spotify.com/track/4fSZK40jtIy6lMI62SyBm7
2) violin concerto in g minor, op. 80. i def recommend listening to this one! while it's not so commonly known, it's a really nice piece. my favorite is the 1st movement: https://open.spotify.com/track/5fT1dDmidcJ48mbBaeEsTn
3) legende for violin and orchestra, op 14. this is just so beautiful!! https://open.spotify.com/track/1gug8P3y3B7B6cORihcoSH?si=VTctJob4TPycwN1Y7Hop8Q
read more about him: https://100greatblackbritons.com/bios/samuel_coleridge-taylor.htmlmore https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/samuel-coleridge-taylor-and-the-musical-fight-for-civil-rights/JwLitwiLW6SGIw
